D.C. Hebrew-language charter school accepted for review

(JTA) — The application for a proposed Hebrew-language charter school was accepted by the District of Columbia Public Charter School board.

The D.C. Hebrew Language Public Charter School is one of 11 prospective charter schools, including an Arabic-language immersion school, that will be reviewed privately by school founding boards before facing a public hearing next month, the Washington Jewish Week reported. It would be the first Hebrew-language charter school in Washington.

A Hebrew-language charter school could not teach religion and would not be considered a religious institution. The public school is expected to attract Jewish and non-Jewish students alike.

The district has 52 charter schools, the Washington Jewish Week reported, citing the D.C. Public Charter School website. Some 29,366 students attend the schools, of which 72 percent are considered low-income.